Meet the Candidates for President & Vice President

The names on this page reflect candidates on the ballot in Kansas. Not all candidates for president and vice president are on the ballot in every state.

Democratic Party

• Joseph R. Biden & Kamala D. Harris
  • Official campaign website
  • Further reading

Libertarian Party

• Jo Jorgensen & Jeremy "Spike" Cohen
  • Official campaign website
  • Further reading

Republican Party

• Donald J. Trump & Michael R. Pence (incumbent)
  • Official campaign website
  • Further reading

Primaries & Caucuses

Across the country, people vote for their preferred presidential candidate in a primary or caucus. The rules for these elections vary by location and political party. In general, primaries are similar to the general election process where voters cast secret ballots for their preferred choice, while caucus voting is a show of open support by raising hands or organizing into groups.

There are primaries and caucuses held for Democratic and Republican candidates in all 50 states, plus the following territories:

• American Samoa
• District of Columbia
• Guam
• Northern Mariana
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands

In addition, there is a global primary run by Democrats Abroad, the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living outside the United States.

Kansas Presidential Primary/Caucus

In Kansas, presidential primaries and caucuses are run by the respective political party. In 2020, the Kansas Democratic Party held a mail-only election due to coronavirus concerns. The ballot was ranked choice, meaning voters had the option of selecting more than one candidate in order of preference. Joe Biden earned 76.9 percent of the popular vote, while Bernie Sanders earned 23.1 percent, the Party announced.

The Republican Party chose not to organize a caucus in 2020 "because President Trump is an elected incumbent from the Republican Party," the Party announced on Twitter.

Nomination

Delegates from each primary/caucus formally select their party's nominee at a national nominating convention. Delegates are allocated proportionally based on the outcome of each primary/caucus. In 2020, 1,991 pledged delegates were required to win the Democratic Party's primary. In the Republican Party primary, 1,276 out of 2,550 delegates were required to win.

In 2020, the Democratic Party's nominating convention was originally scheduled for July 13-16. It was postponed to August 17-20 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the roll call vote, Joe Biden received 3,558 delegates, Bernie Sanders received 1,151, and there were five abstentions.

In 2020, the Republican Party's nominating convention took place from August 24-27. Donald Trump received all 2,550 delegates.

Debate Schedule

The Commission on Presidential Debates scheduled four debates, inviting the Democratic and Republican nominees:

• September 29: First Presidential Debate
• October 7: Vice Presidential Debate
• October 15: Second Presidential Debate The second presidential debate was cancelled and then replaced by separate town hall events.
• October 22: Third Second Presidential Debate